To reach young women, Wilton moves from classroom to Web

The cake decorating company Wilton has always been about creators, inspiring everyday bakers with TV programs and in-store lessons. Now, the 85-year-old cake decorating brand is using online influencers to reach a new generation.

The Woodridge, Ill.-based company announced on Friday that it is partnering with Kin Community's Rosanna Pansino to create branded tutorials on YouTube. Pansino, who is best known for her pop culture-inspired baked goods, will create more than a dozen videos through the partnership throughout 2015.

"Consumers who are not going to the store to seek inspiration, or picking up a book on how to make something, or watching a TV show for instruction, they are going to YouTube," said Eric Erwin, evp and CMO of Wilton Brands. "We want to reach consumers that may not know the Wilton brand in a highly visual and demonstrative way that's just fun—and the way she presents success is just fun and entertaining."

Erwin explained Wilton has always been a social brand, even in the past when it hosted live cake decorating classes. But as times change, it's looking to bring those classroom lessons onto digital platforms. The brand has been building up its digital presence over the last five years, focusing on content creation. Currently, it has upward of 1.2 million followers on Facebook, 91,700 Instagram followers and more than 43,300 followers on Twitter. With Pansino, who is the most popular baker on YouTube with more than 600 million lifetime views, Wilton has a chance to engage millennial girls and women, especially.

"On YouTube there's a connection between creators and their audience," Kin Community CEO Michael Wayne said. "They're really good at what they do, and it's accessible. It's not like you're going to a physical class. This is something that you'll watch over and over again, with a little bit of utility and a little bit of personality."